Conveyor chain

Claim 2

A conveyor chain comprising link means having openings therein spaced in the direction of chain movement, a first hanger member having a first arm portion insertable into one opening and a second arm portion insertable into another opening, a second hanger member having a first arm portion insertable into said one opening and a second arm portion insertable into said other opening, said first and second arm portions and said link means having cooperating portions which engage to support said first and second hanger members by said Link means, and means for connecting said first and second hanger members when supported by said link means to prevent removal of said first and second hanger members from said link means.

Claim 3

A conveyor chain as defined in claim 1 wherein the openings are of an L-shaped configuration and one arm of each of said hanger members is insertable into one leg portion of each L-shaped opening.

Claim 4

A conveyor chain as defined in claim 2 wherein said hanger members further have an outwardly projecting load-carrying member thereon which projects therefrom and which is engageable with a load.

Claim 5

A conveyor chain as defined in claim 3 wherein said load-carrying member is pivotally connected with said hanger members by a pivot pin and further including a spring means which is interconnected between said load-carrying member and said hanger members so as to continually bias said load-carrying member relative thereto.

Claim 6

A conveyor chain as defined in claim 1 wherein said cooperating portions include a transversely extending shoulder portion disposed on one arm of each of said hanger members for abuttingly engaging with a support surface portion on said link means.

Claim 7

A conveyor chain as defined in claim 1 wherein one arm of each of said hanger members includes a stop surface thereon which is engageable with a retaining surface which in part defines a portion of the opening formed in said link means which receives the one arm to prevent rotational movement of said hanger members relative to said link means.

Claim 8

A load carrier for use in association with a conveyor chain having a pair of spaced-apart chain links, each chain link having a pair of openings spaced apart in the direction of chain movement with one opening in one link overlying one opening in the other link to provide a first set of aligned openings and with another opening in one link overlying another opening in the other link to provide a second set of aligned openings, said load carrier comprising a first member having a body portion and a pair of arms projecting therefrom, one of said arms being longer than the other and insertable through the first set of aligned openings and the other arm being insertable into one of the openings of the second set of aligned openings, a second member having a body portion and a pair of arms projecting therefrom, one of said arms being longer than the other and insertable through the second set of aligned openings and said other arm of said second member being insertable into one of the aligned openings of the first set of aligned openings, each of said longer arms including a transversely extending shoulder portion thereon which is disposable in abutting engagement with the outer side of one of the chain links to thereby support its associated member, and means carried by said body portion and projecting in a direction away from the chain links and adapted to be operatively connected with a load to be moved with the chain.

Claim 9

A load carrier for use in association with a conveyor chain having a pair of spaced-apart chain links, each chain link having a pair of openings spaced apart in the direction of chain movement with one opening in one link overlying one opening in the other link to provide a first set of aligned openings and with another opening in one link overlying another opening in the other link to provide a second set of aligned openings, said load carrier comprising a first member having a body portion and a pair of arms projecting therefrom, one of said arms being longer than the other and insertable through the first set of aligned openings and the other arm being insertable into one of the openings of the second set of aligned openings, a second member having a body portion and a pair of arms projecting therefrom, one of said arms being longer than the other and insertable through the second set of aligned openings and said other arm of said second member being insertable into one of the aligned openings of the first set of aligned openings, each of said longer arms including a transversely extending shoulder portion thereon which is disposable in abutting engagement with the outer side of one of the chain links to thereby support its associated member, and means carried by said body portion and projecting in a direction away from the chain links and adapted to be operatively connected with a load to be moved with the chain.

Claim 10

A load carrier as defined in claim 7 further including a stop surface on each of said arms for engaging with retaining surfaces which in part define the openings in the chain links so as to retain said first and second members against rotational movement relative to the chain links.

Claim 11

A load carrier as defined in claim 8 wherein said body portion of each of said first and second members includes stop surfaces thereon for engaging with retaining surfaces on one of the links to further prevent rotation of said first and second members relative to the chain links.

Claim 12

A load carrier as defined in claim 9 wherein said body portions of said first and second members each include a recess thereon which is disposed adjacent the one link and which is operable to receive a head portion of an axle which supports a roller which prevents lateral movement of the conveyor chain.

Claim 13

A load carrier as defined in claim 10 wherein said large arm of said first and second members extend on diametrically opposite sides of the roller which prevents lateral Movement of the conveyor chain.

Claim 14

A load carrier as defined in claim 11 wherein each of said large arms of said first member is contiguous to said smaller arm of said second member and said large arm of said second member is contiguous to said smaller arm of said first member when said arms are inserted in the openings in the chain links.